10/2003 – Maria Zemantauski

PGF honors guitarist and composer Maria Zemantauski as its person of the month for October 2003. We were lucky enough to see Ms. Zemantauski perform the weekend of September 27th and 28th at Albany, New York’s PolishFest. Besides her original approach to flamenco and classical guitar which was of course outstanding, what we particularly noticed was the captivation on the faces of the young people in the audience. It is easy to project our thoughts onto these young people as they took in the beauty of Ms. Zemantauski’s music. What we can say is that our wonderment, enjoyment, contemplation, and satisfaction were the result of our listening. Ms. Zemantauski’s music brought beauty and pleasure to the venue. PGF focuses on the good we are all able to do when aspects of culture are shared. Ms. Zemantauski’s art and focus on education enriches that sharing.

Ms. Zemantauski holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Music from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from State University of New York at Albany. In addition to her performing career, Ms. Zemantauski is a frequent guest lecturer at schools, colleges, and universities nationwide. Her multi-media presentations discuss the relationship between music, culture and experience with a particular emphasis on gender ideology in the flamenco art form. The synthesis of music and anthropology is inspired by her commitment to promote the arts as a vital educational component and an integral part of society.

For more information about Maria Zemantauski’s music, performances, and lectures visit her website by clicking here…